Owen Sound has forged a new partnership with Grey County that's aimed at beefing up the upper-tier municipality's economic development resources.

City council approved a plan Monday that will see Owen Sound's manager of economic development Steve Furness permanently join the county's economic development team starting Jan. 1, 2017.

The city will be providing the county with funding next year only to assist with the transition, city council heard.

“I think working together, we can achieve a lot more than we can as individuals,” said Coun. Peter Lemon, who moved the motion.

City staff and several councillors said a well-resourced economic development team at the county level will benefit each of the lower-tier municipalities, including Owen Sound. Attracting a new development or business to one community, for example, would benefit neighbouring municipalities as well, they said.

“This doesn't mean that Owen Sound is saying no to economic development or is in any way downplaying the importance of economic development in the city,” Coun. Richard Thomas said.

He said the city's economic development and tourism advisory committee will continue to meet.

Ritchie said the city manager's office will take on a “more active role in economic development with a team approach with senior managers.

“And Steve, certainly through this process, will be available to assist us at the county level.”

Furness has worked for the city for the past 17 years. His new title at the county will be senior economic development officer.

Furness said he has really enjoyed his time with the city and looks forward to continuing to serve not only Owen Sound but the entire county in his new role.

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POLICE CHIEF WILL NOT BE PART OF WORKING GROUP

City council voted down a motion by Coun. Brian O'Leary to include Owen Sound Police Service Chief Bill Sornberger on the working group that will be analyzing an OPP costing proposal for the city.

O'Leary, a member of the police service board, told council that Sornberger was “extremely disappointed” that he was not put on the working group.

“He said he's checked with other municipalities that have gone through an OPP costing and that had their chief on the committee, so I said I'd be glad to bring it to council and let council decide,” he said.

But several councillors voiced concerns about the potential appearance of a conflict of interest if the chief were to sit on the committee.

“If we do put the chief of police of our local force (on the working group), does that working group stay as an unbiased working group? That's my only concern,” said Coun. Travis Dodd.

He said both Mayor Ian Boddy and O'Leary will be sitting on the working group. Both are also members of the Owen Sound Police Service board.

City manager Wayne Ritchie said he looked at five municipalities that recently underwent an OPP costing review. Three of those communities had their police chief or his or her designate as a resource only to the working group. The other two did not, but both of those municipalities had retained a consultant to help analyze the OPP costing proposal.

Owen Sound, he said, will be contracting Levack Management Consulting to provide an “unbiased analysis” of the OPP costing, which the city expects will be ready by the summer.

The working group and consultant will analyze the contract proposal and prepare for council a "true comparison" between the OPP's submission and the current cost for Owen Sound's municipal police force, which is about $7.4 million a year or one-quarter of the city's total expenses.

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VIGIL DEC. 6

A vigil is set to take place Dec. 6 in Owen Sound to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

It is to begin at noon at the parkette next to city hall on 2nd Avenue East.

Joachim Ostertag of the Men's Program and Megan Ellis of The Metis Nation of Ontario, both members of the event's planning committee, spoke before council Monday to invite members of council and the community to the vigil.

The Day of Remembrance is held each year on Dec. 6, which is the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, in which armed student Marc Lépine murdered 14 women in an act of gender-based violence.

Ellis read aloud the names of the 14 women during the council meeting.

Ostertag said Dec. 6 is a day for people to commemorate the women who were killed at École Polytechnique, reflect on the phenomenon of violence against women, think about the women and girls for whom violence is a daily reality, remember those women who have died as a result of gender-based violence and consider concrete actions to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.